Cath Mather, owner of Bare Bodycare, explains why the business should win the home business category of the Guardian Small Business Showcase competition.
My name is Cath Mather and I am a mum to two young boys. My eldest is five years-old and when he was just six months I began experimenting to create a natural skincare range for his very sensitive skin.
I am an occupational therapist by background, so it came naturally to me to look into creating something ergonomically sound (a circular baby wash bar) that would make life easier when bathing him on my own.
I have been lucky enough to win a number of awards for the quality of my products and since starting the business I have become a writer for natural parenting title The Mother Magazine.
I moved into a larger property a year ago so that my studio could be easily accomodated within the home. This gives me the freedom to work when it is convenient and remain the primary carer for my children. Having a studio upstairs means that I can work when the kids are sleeping, and/or if necessary have them playing in the studio while I work.
I make the studio child-friendly so that as well as being a place of work, it is also still accessible to the family, and is integrated into our home. I have various toys and books there, as well as a hammock and a swing suspended from the ceiling.
Making the studio accessible to the children and integrated into the home also helps to maintain my business focus – that of being about caring for children, and about maintaining my children’s health naturally. It is easy to get sucked into commercial concerns and having a home studio keeps me grounded and allows me to prioritise my family over business.
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All entries which meet the competition criteria are published and our judging panel select a shortlist of the top three for each category. Winners are announced at an awards ceremony in summer 2016.
